No meat and No gluten: The good, the eh, and the ugly

I have four weeks of eating meatless and gluten free under my (slightly looser) belt.  The change has been much more difficult than I thought.  On the whole, I feel great, BUT there are some things people fail to mention to you when starting a plant based diet.  Therefore, this post is dedicated to sharing the good, the eh, and the ugly.  There is more good than eh or ugly, but it is my goal to inform others of the whole story.   I could prance and cartwheel around, telling you how great I feel and how wonderful this 'effortless' diet change is, and how you should hop on the health train and do it too because it is soooo EASY, but that is called bullshit.  And this is a bullshit free zone.  So here is the truth.

The Good 

1) Lose weight, without starving

I did not change my diet to lose weight.  I did it to become a healthy bad ass.  The weight loss is happily welcomed, but it was not my intention to do so.  My intention was to be healthy and permanently change my lifestyle.  So changing to a healthier lifestyle = losing weight, without worrying about counting calories or sticking to a strict regiment, or having an 'end date' in mind.  I have chosen not to give myself the 'cheat day', as I have in the past.  The cheat day was the day I allowed myself to binge on all of the forbidden foods that I had denied myself throughout the week.  I don't want to damage my body anymore than I have in the past, and in this journey to health I chose not to be a slave to food or a cheat day.   If I decided to have a cookie in the middle of the week, or a cheese plate while sitting at the wine shop with my friends, that is a treat and I will chose then whether it is worth it to me.  This might sounds really hard, but that brings me to the next good element of this diet....

2) Kiss those cravings goodbye! 

I cannot tell you how awesome it has been to lose the cravings and urges for sugar and junk food.  I use to get out of work on a Friday night and say, "I have to have nachos!" And in some way I really needed to have nachos, stat, right then, or someone was getting hurt.  If I didn't get them I would think about them until I finally got them.  I felt this way about things like donuts on Sundays, sweets after dinner, salty potato chips everyday after work.  I was addicted to food, and a sucker to those cravings.

Right now I crave nothing, and to be honest I rarely feel ravenous, unless I have had a long workout.   I don't want to eat unless I am hungry, I even have to force myself to eat at times.  These eating habits are beyond strange for the daughter whose mother calls her 'Rolly' ( the fat puppy from 101 Dalmatians) every time I say "I'm hungry," and for the girl whose known, in her circle of friends and co-workers, as the best advice giver on good eateries in Charlotte.  Nom Nom.

If you think this sounds crazy, watch Hungry for Change on Netflix http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
The documentary talks a lot about food additives, and the way the food industry addicts consumers to their products.

Other reading material:
Huffington Post Article on Sugar Addiction
NY Times Blog on Cravings
Nation of Change: Processed Foods and Addiction

*This lack of craving and hunger started about week 3, so it does take time to feel this way, but stick with it! 

Bye bye sugar shackles!

3) You save money! 

I thought it was going to be expensive to start eating more produce.  Fortunately, my grocery bills have been lower than usual.  No meat in the basket really makes a difference.  The only expense, that is like a start up cost, are nuts and seeds.  They are expensive, but they last a while, so you really aren't having to purchase them weekly.  I think the key to keeping it cheap is planning. PLAN PLAN PLAN.  I have to write down all of our meals for the week and make an ingredient list every Sunday, before entering the store.  I buy only what is on the list.

4) You get to try new things.

I enjoy trying new vegetables and recipes every week.  It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day.  I pour a glass of wine or sparkling water with lemon, turn on a Rich Roll or No Meat Athlete podcast, and go!

My best find, so far, has been the elusive and tasty Golden Beet (I can only find it at Whole Foods).

 Thanks to a few snow days recently I was able to have a Veg Fest! (In the past, snow days meant pizza and cookies and chips! What is happening to me!?!)  I tried out a few new things...

Roasted Golden Beets, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Kale and Avocado Salad! Recipes below.

5) More energy...finally
Don't expect to feel super energetic the first week (I explain in more detail below).  But I started to feel that extra energy at the beginning of week 4.  How much energy? Lemme tell ya. During the snow days I went crazy and decided to run on the treadmill (which I hate).  I felt like some energy needed to be released or I was going to bounce off the walls.  I can never run more than 30 minutes at a time on the treadmill.  I get bored and 30 minutes is just enough time to get my energy out. But this time I started running, and 100 minutes later I removed my towel (that hides all of those taunting numbers) off of the dashboard and it revealed this:

OMG! I did what!?!?

Nuff said...

The eh

1) Prep, Cook, Dishes, Repeat

I am a neat freak.  I cannot stand to have anything in the sink or anything on the counters.  So one of the things that I call 'eh' about this diet is the amount of preparation and dishes that come with changing to this type of lifestyle.  It is not a bad thing, but it is just a little more work.  I have to come to terms with the fact that there's always going to be dishes, and sometimes things won't look as neat as I would like.  Some ways I have been trying to battle this stress: 1) Prep all lunches and breakfasts on Sunday's, do all dishes for that directly after. 2) Clean up after I cook a meal during the week, before I am allowed to eat. 3) Chill out 4) Make large portions of a meal, so there are a few 'leftover' days 5)Delegate to husband.
 

OMG I might die!

 2)Be conscious of B-12

I hate the idea of taking a vitamin every day.  I wish I could get everything I need from my food.  Unfortunately, from what I have read, B-12 is only available in animal products and fortified foods (I have only stopped eating meat, but have significantly cut down on eggs and cheese as well).  I felt really sluggish the first few weeks, and after reading a few articles, decided to try the B-12.  The effect was almost immediate (maybe in my head, but worth it). 

Inexpensive gluten free version from Whole Foods.

The Ugly 

1) P-U

If you choose this lifestyle, be prepared to be a gas monster for a little while.  I have discussed how much bathroom humor entertains me in my last post.  But this is no laughing matter.  I am serious, it is not funny.  The increase in my (and my husband's) fiber intake, from more raw veggies, lentils, and legumes has created a very gassy household.  From what I have read, this is temporary, and calls for staying much more hydrated.  So drinking lots of water is a must!

I think Jasper is taking it the hardest.

 

Curried Lentils, amazing! Make sure you rinse lentils well, consume with lots of water.  Recipe Below!

2) Calorie Deficiency 
 I felt weak and a little sick the first few weeks of eating no meat and gluten, and eating tons of vegetables.  I was sad because I wanted to feel amazing immediately.  The problem was I was not getting enough calories at all.  I was eating the same amount of food, but the calorie level was way lower than my usual daily intake ( I added up my calories one day and I was only eating 500..woops).  I had to add in some snacks like peanut butter toast and hummus and veggies, add rice to some dinners, and put almond butter into my smoothies to bring those calories up to a normal level.  It was an easy fix and definitely made a difference in my energy.  I definitely have to stay mindful of the amount I am eating going into this lifestyle, especially for workouts.  

I think I might be dying...oh wait... I have to eat MORE? No problem! 

There it is! The good, the eh, and the ugly! My biggest piece of advice:  Don't give up!  Be Patient!
I have spent years harming my body, it will take time and effort to heal it.  

“We strive toward a goal, and whether we achieve it or not is important, but it's not what's most important. What matters is how we move toward that goal.” -Scott Jurek 

Here are the recipes from the pictures above:

Roasted Golden Beet:  

What you need: 

Golden Beet
2 tbsp of Olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) Peel the beets (like a potato)
3) Slice into 1/2 in. thick circles
4) Put all ingredients into a ziplock bag and Shake!
5) Empty ingredients into a pan
6) Cook for 30 min

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

What you need: 
15 brussel sprouts
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:
1)Preheat oven to 375
2) Clean brussel sprouts and cut in half
3) Place all ingredients in a ziplock bag and Shake!
4) Empty ingredients into a pan
5) Cook for 30 min or until outer part of sprout is crispy


Kale and Avocado Salad (as seen on the Engine 2 Rescue)

What you need: 
4 cups of kale greens (I like to buy the precut and cleaned kind in the produce section)
1 avocado
1 lemon
sea salt

Instructions:
1) Mash the avcado in a bowl with the kale greens (coat the kale greens well, use your hands!)
2) Cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half onto the kale avocado mixture.   Stir.
3) Add salt to taste. 
* you may want to add some balsamic or the other half of the lemon, depending on how moist you like your greens.

Green Lentil Curry 

I found the recipe here: 

Green Lentil Curry

I changed it in two ways and it was still very good.

1) Add 1/2 cup more of coconut milk, and 1/2 cup mor vegetable stock
2) I left out the white mustard seeds, to save on cost

Have a great week! Check back soon for a healthy party food extravaganza!!